Working for the Mouse, Part 3College Program TraditionsThursday, September 8, 2004
Presented by Shoshana Lewin, Cast Place editorIn Part 1, you saw tips for a great interview
and what it takes to get hired. And in Part 2,
you met cast member Anthony, who was hired as an Outdoor Vending (ODV)
cast member at Disneyland.Today, we take a look at Traditions. Once someone is hired at either resort, the next step is to take an orientation
class called Traditions. This class is unlike any you will find with any
other company. How many orientation classes involve going into a theme
park and riding an attraction? Cast members (CMs) learn the ins and outs
of what it means to work for the Mouse, receive their working assignment
and name tags, learn the Four Keys of Safety, Courtesy, Show and Efficiency,
and more. Every story is different based on where someone was hired into and when
they interviewed. In addition to Traditions, all CMs take a department-specific
orientation where they get their training schedule (I took Attractions
& You). Last time, you saw some tips to get you into the door at Disneyland.
Today, we switch coasts and talk about what it takes to become a cast
member in a very selective program: The Walt Disney World College Program
(WDWCP). Even though the Disneyland program is no longer in operation
(but I do hope it comes back someday soon), the WDWCP is thriving. Below are the interview and Traditions experiences from alumni of the
program. Cast Member Kelly's AdviceI recently interviewed for the Walt Disney World College Program and
was asked to share my interviewing experience, so here it goes… I first learned about the Disney College Program by reading Shoshana
Lewin's Cast Place series about the Disneyland program (www.mouseplanet.com/kevin/cp030416sl.htm).
I was thrilled to learn about such a program, because I want to work for
the Walt Disney Company in the future. So this year, my freshman year
in college, I went to campus career services to find out if there was
going to be a presentation done on my campus. I was delighted to find
that there would in fact be two (one for the spring program and one for
the fall). My resident Disney geek buddy, Janell, and I both went to apply. The whole process was relatively simple, although lengthy. Pointer No. 1: Be prepared to spend several hours for the whole
ordeal. We were asked to sign in at a table staffed by college program
alumni. Pointer No. 2: We were also asked if we had filled out an application
already. Do this! You can fill the application out at the Disney College
Program Web site's application page (link),
we got major points for planning ahead and having ours with us. It also
means that you get to be in the first few groups interviewed (more on
that later.) After signing in, we went into the auditorium for the presentation. The
recruiters from Disney were two of the most fun people I have ever met.
They made the whole orientation fun, even though much of the material
was dry protocol. They started out with a little trivia session with questions
that I didn't even bother answering: Who is CEO of the Walt Disney Company?
Name two other companies owned by Disney? Who founded the Walt Disney
Company? Janell and I were laughing. Then they went over housing arrangements for Florida, available college
credit courses, each different job available, what they expect in a Disney
employee… and on and on. Pointer No. 3: If you have piercings, take them out for your interview. The parts of the presentation that were, in my opinion, the most stressed
were appearance and conduct. It was made very clear to us that we could
not have any visible tattoos at all. End of story. This is the point where
a few people got up and left. We were also told that we could not wear
jewelry in any piercings except for girls, who are allowed one pair of
earrings. It was explained to us that jewelry in piercings, even non-visible
ones, were a hazard because of the various components of the costume.
A few more people left at this point. After that there was a Q-&-A session. Pointer No. 4: Go to the College Program Web site (link)
and read up beforehand. Then you can make the most of the Q-&-A session. And then they showed us the coolest Disney spot I had ever seen in the
form of two videos. One was about making the magic and consisted of 10
minutes of images of Disney World and its cast members that practically
had me in tears (I am most definably a “Disney Geek”). The second
one was about all of Disney's subsidiaries: ABC, ESPN and the like, which
was almost as cool. Then we filed outside to sign up for interviews. Those who did not bring
their applications were asked to go to the library and do so before interviewing.
This meant that those of us who had already filled ours out got to interview
first. When interviews last until 10 p.m., this is a bonus for both the
interviewer and the interviewee. We were interviewed in groups of three. Pointer No. 5: If you have time, chat with the other people in your group
so you are a little comfortable with each other before you go in. This
allows you to bounce thoughts off of each other, as well as appearing
mega-friendly during your interview. The questions asked in the interview were pretty standard to all of us
(as well as most other interviews I have had), but the interviewer asked
each of us one specific question. Mine was, “What would you tell
a guest who was irate that Space Mountain was closed?” Janell got
(the worst, in my opinion): “If you were the interviewer, what would
you be looking for in an interviewee?” Overall, a pretty generic interview process. We were then told that if we were accepted into the program, we would
receive confirmation packets within three weeks. (Although mine came in
about one and a half.) I'm going to be working at Epcot as a hopper, I
will be trained in all operations and food service and then “hop”
from place to place as needed. I'll be there in fall 2005, come visit
me! The top three things to remember for your interview:
- Smile! It's a simple idea that is hard to remember, but gets
you lots of brownie points.
- Dress Up! It was surprising how many people showed up in sweatshirts
and jeans. Even if you are going straight from class, this is a job
interview—dress accordingly.
- Be outgoing, even if you think you look like a fool (I know
I did). Disney is not looking for shy, quiet people.
That about sums up my experience! Hope it helps some more MousePlaneteers
get into the program! Cast Member Tad's AdviceI just read your recent update to the CM stories. The magic is everywhere!
I applied to the WDWCP back in November 2003 for this spring. I was unfortunately
turned down for the spring, but they asked me to join them for this coming
fall instead! I was overflowing with joy. So here's my story about the
WDWCP presentation and interview process. Maybe it will ignite a spark
in some of the college-aged readers here at MousePlanet. Applying online was the easy part. All you really had to do was choose
a school nearest to you that a WDWCP representative was going to visit.
For me, that was San Francisco State (I live in the San Jose area). So, one faithful Wednesday evening, I entered a conference hall filled
with numerous people who were wanting the same experience as I. There
were a good 40 so odd folks there; some dressed in their school clothes,
others like me dressed up for the occasion. Debra was the recruiting CM who gave a highly informative orientation
through her own words and from a PowerPoint presentation made of CP alumni.
Sitting there listening to Debra and watching the short videos made me
want to be in Florida at that moment. I was so excited for my interview.
Debra interacted with us, making us all feel at ease about the CP and
answered all our questions with the loving Disney smile most of us have
seen before at the theme parks or Disney Stores or on the Disney Cruise
Line. The presentation took up most of the time, and I was getting a little
worried that I'd have to come back the next day for the interview. I met
another hopeful while waiting for the decision about the interviews. She
and I were both from the same area and we both had that nervous/excited
feeling in our stomachs and our throats. We were keeping each other confident
and positive about the interviews. Debra then announced that they'd be taking those students not from the
San Francisco schools first because those other folks had longer drives
or flights (one girl came from Chicago because she had missed the presentation
back there). The interviews were a breeze. They had paired interviews. Debra took
two at a time and her cohort, a chef CM, took another two at a time. Hoping
that my new friend and I would get paired up to make things easier, we
sat and watched everyone else go before us. Each interview took about
10 minutes, and we noticed that the recruiters were asking each student
different questions but all seemed to end up smiling and laughing. So
I thought, “Huh… this won't be so bad.” Finally my name was called, but my friend had to wait. No worries, though.
Debra was my recruiter and as she took our apps, she noticed that my partner
wasn't able to attend the CP because she wasn't enrolled in school. That saddened me a bit and Debra was nice about letting her go but with
all the encouragement to apply again. So I had a one-on-one interview!
Gasp! But wait, there was nothing to gasp about. It was really mellow! She asked some pretty basic questions, and just wanted to know about
me and what I do. She asked me if I had noticed the “magic”
before at any of the Disney locations or elsewhere. I told her I had,
and that my current job requires me to make some magic of my own. So she
inquired about that some more, then told me that it was great getting
to know me and that she'd get back to us in about three weeks. "What about your friend?” you ask? She got in! She's there right
now as a Merchandise CM. As for lil' ol' me—I'm going to be in operations in August (attractions,
shows or parking). So that's my story. Hmmm… maybe I'll come back
and write when I'm really a CM (nametag and all) Cast Member Roman's AdviceI was selected to do the Walt Disney World College Program, for Spring
1999—so Traditions may be different for “normal” cast members,
and has probably changed since I was there. First, we met our instructors for the day. We had one male and one female
instructor, I don't remember their names but they exemplified Disney!
Also, they weren't full-time Traditions teachers. The woman, if I recall
correctly, was a performer in the Festival of the Lion King show
(in Disney's Animal Kingdom)—I don't remember what the guy did. We were divided into groups, and we then had to select a group leader.
Everyone always chooses the most “bubbly” personality, and in
my group, it was a guy who had a personality that was downright Jim Carrey.
Being fairly outgoing myself, but not one to go out of my way for attention,
I voted with the rest of the group in choosing the guy for leader, too. Then they said, “OK, now the person to their left is team leader.”
So I became team leader. The beginning of class was loaded with Disney history, and a lot of talk
about Disney “synergy,” that dreaded buzzword that essentially
means lots of direct-to-video sequels! You learn the Disney Seven Guidelines
for Guest Service, and the whole customer service philosophy. Then the
truly cool part happens—you get your first look at the Utildoor. Now, I had always wanted to make “Disney magic” as long as
I could remember, and it was a thrill to see how it happens. The most
bizarre experience was seeing Ariel, Cinderella and Peter Pan grabbing
a quick lunch in the cafeteria. We then got to tour the Magic Kingdom looking for show elements, and
learning about their priorities of Safety, Show, Service, etc. We even
got our Disney nametags! (That was a thrill and a half for me!) My second day was at The Disney-MGM Studios, where I was to work as a
tour guide at the Animation Studios tour. We got to ride Tower of Terror
with our group, and learn some more of the “meat and potatoes”
of daily working at the park. What different evacuation and emergency
plans were, and what types of fires get what kinds of extinguishers. (Type
A fire means a fire that leaves behind Ash, type B is explosive “it
can go Boom,” and type C involves and electrical “C”urrent…
I still use that way of remembering!) All in all it was a great way to prep for one of the coolest jobs I've
ever had the pleasure of doing. Next timeNext time in Cast Place, we learn about those who experienced Traditions
but were not college students, and we also get to meet a CM from Tokyo
Disneyland.
Thoughts, questions, or comments? Contact Shoshana here.
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Are you a CM or a former CM? I would love to hear and share your stories! E-mail me! Stories and comments you submit become property of and may be published on this site; we normally don't publish last names of current CMs, but if you wish to remain anonymous altogether or do not want me to share your stories, please let me know when you e-mail me. — Shoshana NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in reader-contributed stories do not reflect those of Cast Place or MousePlanet. CM – Cast member; company lingo for “employee.” Empowerment Evolution – The 1995 attempt by newer park management to introduce modern accountability and market forces into the stodgy Disneyland methodology and power hierarchies. The name was meant to “empower” rank and file employees by removing layers of their management, though now there are more managers than ever. TPO – Theme Park Operations; the division of the Disneyland hierarchy that actually works in the theme park itself. TDA – Team Disney Anaheim; the name of the on-site administration building. Area manager – used to be responsible for an entire land, with all business divisions in the area reporting to him. Area supervisor – the immediate boss for location supervisors who divide up a department of intelligently grouped locations. The area supervisors in turn reported to the area manager. Nowadays all supervisors and area supervisors have been replaced by managers and assistant managers — the same idea, but smaller “business units" than a department; usually just one location in fact. RFT – “A” status; a full-time hourly employee. RPT – “B” status; an hourly employee five days a week but just not quite 40 hours usually. CR – “C” status; an hourly employee who works weekends year-round and five days a week during all school holiday periods (including summer and Christmas break). CT – a part-time hourly employee who works five days a week during all school holiday periods (including summer and Christmas break). No seniority, so shifts worked are usually quite short. Locate the employment center to fill out an application, and they will call you for an interview (dress nicely, just shy of an actual suit). Once there, follow these rules, in this order of importance: 1. Smile and be very friendly. They want outgoing people.
2. Do not let the group interview throw you off balance. They want outgoing people who can “perform” a little bit.
3. Do not worry about job (in)experience. They don't care. They want friendly people, not experienced and/or hardened people.
4. Do your best to convince them you already have a Disney attitude: you want to work with people, you're a team player, and you would consider this a dream job (however, don't overdo it on the crazy-Disney-fan side either). Strike a nice balance.
5. Did I mention the importance of a smile? 
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